Domenico Ghirlandaio - Life of St. Francis - Francis Receiving the Order from Pope Honorius
On the right side with black hair, Lorenzo the Magnificent

The learned and wealthy Francesco Sassetti was a manager of the Medici bank. All scenes from the Life of St. Francis,
Sassetti's name saint, were initially commissioned to commemorate the death of one of Sassetti's sons, and the birth
of another. This scene gives a contemporary Roman setting
to the event, and depicts onlookers including Lorenzo
de Medici,
Antonio Pucci, the patron Francesco Sassetti himself with his son Federico to the right.

The church facing the palace, Santa Trínita, was founded by the Vallombrosians in the 11th century (when it was outside the city walls), and subsequently patronized by many of Florence's wealthiest families; as a result it was rebuilt many times, and could now serve as the text for a good course on Italian art history. To begin on the outside, the elegant Late Renaissance façade is by Buontalenti. However, when you enter the church and turn around, you will see the delightful Romanesque stonework that emerged when the building was restored at the turn of the century. The same restoration also revealed the floor of the 11th century church, under the present floor, and a crypt. Though the floor mosaics that were found are now in the Bargello, the capitals of the columns of the crypt are still there. The crypt is generally kept closed for safety reasons, and to see it you will have to make an appointment with the custodian (he'll most likely ask you to return another day -- tip him). You will also note, flanking the main door, two beautifully carved tombstones (the bones were transferred to the church's ossuary when the stones were removed from the floor).

The fourth chapel on the right has Lorenzo Monaco's Saints, Prophets, and the life of Mary (1420-25) and his Annunciation. It's an interesting chapel, because Lorenzo mixes styles with a surprisingly pleasant result. The Annunciation at the altar is done in the High Gothic style, with stylized figures (convincingly rendered) set against an equally stylized background. The frescoes on the walls, however, reveal that Lorenzo was well aware of the new developments in painting introduced by Masaccio: He displays a firm grasp of the newly emerging Renaissance style, painting natural looking people who are solidly anchored to their backgrounds.

Continuing on to
the right transept,
we cross into the
High Renaissance.
Domenico Ghirlandaio's
skill with a brush
is astonishing,
and you find yourself
half expecting
a breeze to stir
the boughs of the
trees or rustle
the delicate gossamer
veils of the ladies.
The wall of the
transept, above
the chapels, features
David, and the
Tiburtine Sybil
telling Augustus
of the birth of
the Redeemer.

The
Sassetti family
chapel, which is
the rightmost of
the two chapels,
has his scenes
from the life of
Saint Francis.
In the background
of the Approval
of the Rule of
Saint Francis by
Pope Onorio III
(in the lunette)
there are the Palazzo
Vecchio and Orcagna's
Loggia, while Lorenzo
il Magnifico and
Mr. Sassetti are
in the foreground
to the right, and
Agnolo Polizziano
is leading Lorenzo's
sons, Piero, Giovanni,
and Giuliano up
the stairs. To
the left, Saint
Francis dons his
habit, and to the
right, in a fresco
attributed to Domenico's
brother Davide,
he undergoes a
trial by fire before
the Sultan (Francis
went on a crusade
and returned horrified
by what he'd seen).
The next level down, to the left
he receives the
Stigmata before
a realistic representation
of the Santuario
della Verna, an
abbey in the wild
mountains between
Florence and Arezzo.
The miraculous
revival of the
fallen boy occurs in Piazza Santa
Trinita,
and Sassetti's
children fall to
their knees (on
the left); note
the old Romanesque
façade and
Ponte Santa Trinita
as it was before
the great flood
of 1557. The Saint's
death is to the
right. Francesco
Sassetti and his
wife, Nera Corsi,
are in the tombs,
and are also shown
kneeling facing
the altar.

The altarpiece, Domenico's Adoration of the Shepherds, is simply beautiful. It's also quite important, because he included classical elements, such as the sarcophagus manger and the Corinthian columns holding up the roof of the shack (one is dated 1485), and based the poses of the shepherds on those of the Flemish master Van der Goes's triptych (now in the Uffizi). We therefore have evidence of the newly awakened interest in the Classical world that was one of the characteristics of the High Renaissance, and also get an idea of the impact the Flemish style had upon the great masters.

The sacristy, to the right, is a step back in time. Though Abbot Baldini had the entire church whitewashed "to display his love for it" in 1685, a number of early 14th Century frescoes survived, and were moved here during the restoration following the 1966 flood, including a Noli me Tangere (Jesus saying "Don't hinder me" to the Magdalen as he leaves the tomb, generally mistranslated as "Don't touch me") by Puccio Capanna, a Pietà, and a Crucifixion clearly based on Giotto's. Compare the stilted figures in which there's no telling how a body might fit under the folds of the robes, and the simple, almost surreal landscapes, with Ghirlandaio's; the two might almost be from different worlds.

Returning to the right transept, the crucifix in the chapel to the left of the Sassetti chapel is known as San Giovanni Gualberto's crucifix, because Jesus is said to have nodded his approval to the saint when the man pardoned his brother's assassin. The crystal reliquary on the altar contains a fragment of the column Jesus was tied to when he was whipped.

The frescoes surrounding the main altar were alas painted on dry wall, and about all that is left are the Patriarchs on the ceiling, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. The crucifix by Cimabue that was once above the very pleasant 15th century alter is now in the Accademia. With the first chapel to the left, the Cappella di San Pietro, we enter the baroque with a rush. Christ walks on water to save Peter (to the right) and Peter holds the keys (to the left). The contrast between Felice Palma's bronze Christ and the jet black of the stone behind the altar is fascinating.

The next chapel has the decapitation of a saint and the Flaying of Saint Bartholomew, by Giovanni del Ponte, and, to the left, the tomb of Bishop Benozzo Federighi, one of Luca della Robbia's masterpieces.

Returning towards the front of the church, the first chapel on the right has a pretty statue of the penitent Magdalen, dressed in hair, that was begun by Desiderio da Settignano and finished by Benedetto da Maiano, in about 1464. Two chapels further down is the Cappella di Santa Caterina, which has scenes from her life on the walls, and an Annunciation by Neri di Bicci (note the expulsion from the garden in the background). Though the painting is about the same age as Lorenzo Monaco's works in the Cappella dell'Annunziata (across the aisle), Neri was far less skilled, and was obliged to twist his extremely stylized figures to fit them into a building that is much too small for them.

Santa
Trinita

Nave

Altarpiece
Mariotto di Nardo
Holy Trinity
- 1416

Sassetti Chapel
Frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio
c. 1433 - 1436

Sassetti Chapel
Domenico Ghirlandaio
The Test of Fire
This scene is located on the upper right wall. It portrays St. Francis preaching to the Ottoman sultan Al-Kamil, who asked him to walk over a fire to demonstrate his sanctity.

Sassetti Chapel
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Renunciation of Worldly Goods
This scene is located on the upper
left wall, and portrays the young Francis
who having renounced all his assets
by removing his clothes publicly.